All girls [should read] The Breadwinner by Deborah Ellis. -- Malala Yousafzai, New York Times

The first book in Deborah Ellis's riveting Breadwinner series is an award-winning novel about loyalty, survival, families and friendship under extraordinary circumstances during the Taliban's rule in Afghanistan in the late 1990s.

Eleven-year-old Parvana lives with her family in one room of a bombed-out apartment building in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital city. Parvana's father -- a history teacher until his school was bombed and his health destroyed -- works from a blanket on the ground in the marketplace, reading letters for people who cannot read or write. One day, he is arrested for the crime of having a foreign education, and the family is left without someone who can earn money or even shop for food.

As conditions for the family grow desperate, only one solution emerges. Forbidden to earn money as a girl, Parvana must transform herself into a boy, and become the breadwinner.

The fifteenth anniversary edition includes a special foreword by Deborah Ellis as well as a new map, an updated author's note and a glossary to provide young readers with background and context. All royalties from the sale of this book will go to Right to Learn Afghanistan. Parvana's Fund supports education projects for Afghan women and children.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

From acclaimed picture-book artist Thao Lam comes a joyful celebration of an oft-maligned body part -- the belly!

Maddie and her mom spend a sunny day at the local public pool where she meets and greets friends and neighbors. Maddie is waist-high on most of them, and she knows there's an interesting person behind every belly she passes -- like Jackie, the artist with a splatter of ice cream across their belly. Maddie's splatter painting often leaves Mama speechless, too!

The poolside belly parade keeps Maddie musing: How bellies can make excellent tables, how hard some people work to keep their bellies flat when Maddie prefers her belly full, and how you should never, ever stick your hands in other people's bellies, no matter how soft and doughy they might look. (Maddie's cat taught her that the hard way.)

As Maddie dances, swims and makes the long climb up to the diving board, Thao Lam's celebrated cut-paper collage portrays bellies and bodies of all shapes and sizes -- bellies with scars, tattooed bellies, growing bellies, growling bellies, bellies with six-packs, stretch marks, insulin monitors, freckles and more -- proving that every belly deserves its place in the sun.

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

A lyrical story of an aspen grove through the seasons, inspired by the ground-breaking work of Dr. Suzanne Simard on how trees and fungi talk to each other.

In early spring, the Mother Tree wakens. She is hundreds of years old, and her children are the sprouts that she sends up from her roots. They look like many separate trees, but they are all part of the Mother Tree.

Above ground, the aspens use the sun to produce sugar. Below ground, fungi wrap threads around the aspen's roots, feeding on the sugar that they cannot make themselves. And in exchange, the fungi carry messages from tree to tree -- warnings of drought, disease and infestations.

Through the seasons and years, the Mother Tree shelters and feeds the other trees, the animals that make their home in the grove and the fungi that make it possible for the trees to talk to each other. But when a violent storm upends the order of things, can the forest survive without its Mother Tree?

This story of symbiosis, richly illustrated by Crystal Smith, shows how the forest inhabitants thrive by working together. An author's note explains the significance of mycorrhizal networks and why it is crucial to protect aspen forests.

Key Text Features

Illustrations

author's note

further information

resources

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.7

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.4

Ask and answer questions to help determine or clarify the meaning of words and phrases in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.2.3

Describe the connection between a series of historical events, scientific ideas or concepts, or steps in technical procedures in a text.

Alice and Mrs. Nobody love getting up to no good. While giving each other fashionable haircuts, belting nighttime duets, or scribbling magic-marker wall murals, the two friends are inseparable. Until the day they disagree on what to play next.

Mrs. Nobody wants Alice to play Puppy. But when Alice pushes back (she was Puppy last time!), she feels the wrath of Mrs. Nobody, who grows bigger and bigger and louder and louder before disappearing altogether.

Although Alice suffers a long, lonely night without the company of Mrs. Nobody, she finds some solace in the sound of her own voice. When Mrs. Nobody reappears the next day, Alice knows what she must say.

This debut picture-book by award-winning novelist and poet Y. S. Lee puts a surprising spin on the concept of setting boundaries -- particularly with those closest to us. Readers will find themselves immersed in the fanciful world of Alice and Mrs. Nobody -- brilliantly rendered by internationally acclaimed illustrator Marie Lafrance -- while delighting in the twists of an imaginary friendship gone awry.

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6

With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7 With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4

Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

What can you do when the adult world lets you down?

Suspended from school and prone to rages, twelve-year-old Kate finds her own way to get on with her life, despite the messed-up adults around her. Her gran, for one, is stubborn and aloof -- not unlike Kate herself, who has no friends, and who's been expelled for behavioral issues, like the meltdowns she has had ever since her mom dumped her with her grandmother three years ago. Kate dreams that one day her mother will return for her. When that happens, they'll need money, so Kate sets out to make some.

Gran nixes her idea to sell psychiatric advice like Lucy in Peanuts (You're not a psychiatrist. You'll get sued.), so Kate decides to open a philosophy booth to provide answers to life's big and small questions. She soon learns that adults have plenty of problems and secrets of their own, including Gran. When she finds that her grandmother has been lying to her about her mother, the two have a huge fight, and Gran says she can't wait for Kate to finish high school so she'll be rid of her at last. Kate decides to take matters into her own hands and discovers that to get what she wants, she may have to reach out to some unexpected people, and find a way to lay down her own anger.

Key Text Features

quotations

dialogue

literary references

signs

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.

A New York Times Book Review choice as one of the 10 Best Illustrated Children's Books of 2008

It is very hard for a sighted person to imagine what it is like to be blind. This groundbreaking, award-winning book endeavors to convey the experience of a person who can only see through his or her sense of touch, taste, smell or hearing.

Raised black line drawings on black paper, which can be deciphered by touch, complement a beautifully written text describing colors through imagery. Braille letters accompany the text so that the sighted reader can begin to imagine what it is like to use Braille to read. A full Braille alphabet at the end of the book can be used to learn more.

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.1
Ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

Meet the wild baby animals of the Pacific west coast!

Wolf pups, bear cubs, whale calves and eaglets are thriving in the ancient rainforest, rugged beach and majestic ocean of the Pacific west coast. This sweet introduction to baby animal names and behaviours, with gorgeous watercolor scenes, will delight toddlers and babies everywhere!

Key Text Features

illustrations

Hello! Who do you see and hear in the woods today? Meet a variety of woodland and water animals in this story written in Anishinaabemowin and English.

Can you see a fox digging, spot two minnows dancing or hear a swarm of bees buzzing? Boozhoo! / Hello! introduces children to familiar animals as they go about their daily activities: walking, running, swimming, climbing and finally -- when the day is done -- sleeping! Illustrated in a vibrant and colorful Woodland style that will appeal to readers young and old alike, and accompanied by an author's note.

Key Text Features

Author's note

translations

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

A mystery spans decades at the Rehearsal Club in this story of sisterhood, friendship and following your dreams under marquee lights.

Twelve-year-old Pal Gallagher is a newly minted New Yorker who loves to make people laugh and is hoping to find kindred spirits in her new city. Her older sister, Naomi, lives at the Rehearsal Club, a historic boarding house for aspiring actresses. Pal quickly gets swept up in the glamor and high-stakes of the theater world, and is drawn into a decades-old mystery about Posy, a boarder who was kicked out of the Club for reasons unknown.

In 1954, Olive feels like she is working harder than anyone to make it to Broadway -- along with the forty-four other young women who live at the Rehearsal Club. In comparison, her carefree friend Posy is making it look easy. Tensions rise when the two audition for the same part, kicking off a series of events that lead to Posy's departure.

What really happened all those years ago? The truth involves a Broadway play called The Weekend House, a necklace and a secret that Olive has kept all these years -- until Pal and her new friends start digging into the past. What they learn could change the very fate of the Rehearsal Club itself.

Key Text Features

chapters

dialogue

author's note

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3

Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3

Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.6

Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Children's love for animals and disguise come together in this award-winning introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals.

In this introduction to the Anishinaabe tradition of totem animals, young children explain why they identify with different creatures such as a deer, beaver or moose. Delightful illustrations show the children wearing masks representing their chosen animal, while the few lines of text on each page work as a series of simple poems throughout the book.

In a brief author's note, Danielle Daniel explains the importance of totem animals in Anishinaabe culture and how they can also act as animal guides for young children seeking to understand themselves and others.

Key Text Features
author's note

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7
With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.4
Describe how words and phrases (e.g., regular beats, alliteration, rhymes, repeated lines) supply rhythm and meaning in a story, poem, or song.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.2
Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text; summarize the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7
Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

New York Times Best Children's Books of 2024

Kirkus Best Books of 2024

Shelf Awareness 2024 Best Books of the Year

The Globe 100: The Best Books of 2024

Poppy's mother hasn't been the same since Gran passed away. She stays inside and watches TV, unable to leave the couch. So maybe that's why Poppy has started spending more time outside, taking her dog Pepper for walks around the neighborhood. When Pepper leads Poppy through a hole in the fence, she finds a forgotten forest that's been there all along, as well as a new friend named Rob.

Rob teaches Poppy that you can find magic in the wilderness - if you know where to look! Poppy looks, and then she looks closer ... and sees flowers opening before her eyes, watches animals slip into their hidden homes, and listens to the sound of water droplets falling gently on puddles, leaves and feathers. She can barely wait to tell Mum about everything she's seen, and asks her to come see, too - but her mother rarely has the energy to leave the couch. Will Poppy ever be able help her mother see the beauty in the woods - and in life?

This beautifully illustrated graphic novel is an exploration of grief, love, and finding magic in the wilderness - and in ourselves.

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text (e.g., graphic novel, multimedia presentation of fiction, folktale, myth, poem).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3

Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.

Since its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner, the fictional story of eleven-year-old Parvana living in Kabul under the terror of the Taliban. But what happened to Afghanistan's children after the fall of the Taliban in 2001? In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out.

The twenty-six boys and girls featured in this book range in age from ten to seventeen, and they speak candidly about their lives now. They are still living in a country at war. Violence and oppression exist all around them. The situation for girls has improved, but it is still difficult and dangerous. And many children -- boys and girls -- are still supporting their families by selling items like pencils and matches on the street.

Yet these kids are weathering their lives with remarkable courage and hope, getting as much education and life experience and fun as they can.

All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will go to Right to Learn Afghanistan.

Key Text Features
photographs
maps
glossary
introduction
historical context
additional information

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6
Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.9
Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

Get loopy with this playful introduction to the hopeful, transformative possibilities of circular systems!

Nature works on a cycle, where everything in the loop has value and nothing is wasted. But modern humans have created a different kind of system: it's less like a circle and more like a line. We take, make, use and then, when those things break or we're finished with them, we toss them away.

But our planet's resources are limited, and we've taken too much. That's why all over the world, people are reusing, repurposing, repairing and designing waste out of the system!

Explore the ways that people everywhere are creating a loopier world: from growing building materials out of fungi to designing headphones (and cellphones!) that last, to producing vehicles that run on renewable energy. Plus, kids and families have a role to play, too. Loop de Loop introduces young readers to repair cafés, toy rentals, tool libraries and many more fun, innovative ways to build community and a more sustainable world.

Includes a list of ways children can take part in circular systems, along with a glossary and sources for further reading.

Key Text Features

Illustrations

glossary

definitions

further reading

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.8

With prompting and support, identify the reasons an author gives to support points in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2

Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

Award-winning creators Laurel Croza and Matt James have come together once again to tell the story of what happens when a bullying seagull and a rock meet on the beach.

When a seagull mistakes a small rock for food, it angrily spits it out. What do you think you are? the seagull demands. I am a rock, the rock responds. But the seagull refuses to accept this, insisting that the rock is more like a pebble, or a stone. It predicts that the rock will be thrown into the water and sink, and even if it manages to be washed ashore, the same thing will happen again and again, until the rock is worn down to a mere speck. After all, the rock has no shine, color, crystals or speckles ... In short, it is nothing special.

But a child enjoying a day at the beach sees the rock differently, and their creation in the sand affirms what the rock has known about itself all along.

A quirky, vibrant and very memorable picture book about staying true to yourself.

Key Text Features

dialogue;illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

Leap into this stunning exploration of frogs and toads from around the world! A companion to My Book of Butterflies and My Book of Birds.

When Geraldo Valério was growing up in Brazil, he learned that the tiny creatures he saw swimming in a puddle by the river weren't fish, but tadpoles that would grow and change into entirely different creatures ... and his fascination with frogs and toads began!

In this gorgeous album, Geraldo presents his favorite frog and toad species from around the world. Dazzling paint and paper collage illustrations introduce us to a wide range of creatures: meet the frog who can grow to the size of a small housecat, and the toad who spends most of its life in an underground burrow. Learn fascinating frog and toad facts about what they like to eat, how they grow and reproduce and why one particular toad smells like garlic! Colorful endpapers, showing the frogs and toads as eggs and tadpoles, complete this beautiful book for budding young naturalists.

Includes an introduction, world map, a diagram of a frog and toad's life cycle, a chart explaining the differences between frogs and toads, as well as a glossary, index and suggestions for further reading.

Key Text Features

scientific illustrations

introduction

further information

foreword

author's note

facts

scientific nomenclature

scientific illustrations

map

additional information

captions

glossary

index

labels

Correlates to the Common Core States Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.1

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.3

With prompting and support, describe the connection between two individuals, events, ideas, or pieces of information in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.5

Identify the front cover, back cover, and title page of a book.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.7

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the text in which they appear (e.g., what person, place, thing, or idea in the text an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.9

With prompting and support, identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.5

Know and use various text features (e.g., headings, tables of contents, glossaries, electronic menus, icons) to locate key facts or information in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.9

Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

What is genocide? Why does it happen? What can be done to prevent it from happening again?

At the end of the Second World War, with the establishment of the United Nations, the holding of the Nuremberg Trials and the adoption of the Genocide Convention, the international community assured itself that genocide would never happen again. But never again has become a meaningless phrase.

This book asks why. It also asks, what is genocide? Where has it happened in the past? Who is being threatened by genocide today? And what can we do to prevent this terrible crime from recurring?

Providing an overview of the history of genocide worldwide, this revised, expanded edition helps readers answer these questions. It brings them up to date with recent events--the killing of the Rohingya in Myanmar, the persecution of the Uyghurs in China, the broader recognition of the genocide of Indigenous Peoples, the resurgence of fighting in Darfur, and the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East. It examines and elucidates the debates and controversies surrounding the use of the term genocide as well as the reasons for the common response by individuals, governments and the United Nations -- denial.

Key Text Features

annotated resources

chapters

definitions

explanation

facts

further information

further reading

headings

historical context

illustrations

index

map

sidebars

table of contents

timeline

A celebration of one of the most enduring love stories throughout the ages: the one between dogs and humans!

Dogs and humans go back a long way - thousands of years, to be precise! As humans evolved, dogs did too, and we got to know, trust and understand each other instinctively. Whether they helped to protect us from danger, or sniffed out new routes to faraway places, dogs have been by our side throughout history.

In the modern world there are all kinds of dogs: some dogs are working dogs, and help us with herding, hunting or rescuing. And some dogs share our houses and our lives! Together forever, dogs and us!

This narrative nonfiction picture book traces the special relationship between humans and our furry companions -- a perfect introduction to the wonderful world of dogs! Includes backmatter with further information on common dog breeds featured in the book.

Key Text Features

illustrations

facts

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.K.6

Name the author and illustrator of a text and define the role of each in presenting the ideas or information in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.1.2

Identify the main topic and retell key details of a text.

A girl and her mother watch an unusual friendship develop between a solitary starling and a lonely pony.

The gray pony lives in the green pasture beside the barn. One day, the girl and her mother see a flock of starlings wheel over the field. When the flock moves on, one bird remains behind -- perched on the fence, near the pony.

As summer moves into autumn, the girl watches as the pony and the starling become constant companions, sharing grain, water and shade. When the days get colder, the girl begins to wonder -- what will happen when winter arrives? A blizzard blows in ... and the starling vanishes. Is this the end of a special friendship? And what will the spring bring?

The Pony and the Starling is a gentle story of changing seasons and an unlikely but enduring friendship.

Key Text Features

illustrations

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

Every summer, Yasmine visits her family in Lebanon, and every Sunday, the whole family comes over for lunch. This summer Sunday, Yasmine is making the hummus!

But hummus is harder to make than she expects, and Yasmine has all sorts of questions: How much garlic should she add? Is it lemon juice or vinegar? And where does the sesame flavor come from? With a little help from Baba, Yasmine mixes in a bit of this, and a bit of that ... and hummus à la Yasmine is ready! But when grumpy Ammo Farouk arrives with the rest of the family, Yasmine worries -- will he hate it? What if her hummus doesn't taste like the real thing?

Sundays Are for Feasts is a celebration of how meals can bring family together, and the importance of making your own traditions. Includes an author's note, glossary of Arabic terms used in the story and a recipe for hummus!

Key Text Features

illustrations

author's note

recipe

glossary

definitions

Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.1

With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about key details in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.3

With prompting and support, identify characters, settings, and major events in a story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.4

Ask and answer questions about unknown words in a text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.6

With prompting and support, name the author and illustrator of a story and define the role of each in telling the story.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.K.7

With prompting and support, describe the relationship between illustrations and the story in which they appear (e.g., what moment in a story an illustration depicts).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.2

Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.3

Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.7

Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

Explore the wild and wonderful Pacific west coast from A to Z!

Bears amble, cougars prowl and eagles nest in this beautiful nature alphabet book celebrating the Pacific west coast. Babies and toddlers will delight in the gorgeous watercolor illustrations and fascinating creatures that inhabit the ancient rainforest, rugged beach and majestic Pacific Ocean. Large upper and lowercase alphabet letters on each page encourage letter recognition.

Key Text Features

illustrations